New Light
by Bellinda Cross
Summary: Jason's power and freedom is taken away by the Emperor of Greece. To get it back, he captures the Emperor's daughter, Princess Piper, to bargain for his freedom. While under his custody, Piper touches him in ways no one has ever done before. Jason realises that this daughter of a ruthless emperor is not as bad as he expected as he sees her in a new light.
1. Exiles

**New Jasper story! Yayy! I hope you guys enjoy! Hmmmm...not much to say. Well..ENJOY! **

**DISCLAIMER : I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS WHATSOEVER! **

**Bellinda Cross**

**Chapter 1 Jason**

It has been 2 years since my exile. I had left Rome because of its ruthlessness and cruelty, resigning my post as the captain of the guard. Being Captain of the Guard meant doing everything the Emperor ordered me to do. Even if it meant killing innocent people. Even if it meant torturing refugees from Greece. I had spent my whole life there. Worked my way up to the high ranks. Became Captain of the Guard at 14. I was young, yes, but the Emperor thought I was good enough. Everyone thought I was good enough, even me. But I wasn't ruthless enough. Wasn't cruel or heartless. Every night, I used to hear the people I killed's voices in my head, haunting me, driving me mad. So I left. I ran away from the post. I had loyal friends that stayed by my side, ran away with me. We fled to Greece, believing the many rumours we heard about Greece. That Greece was a peaceful country. That it was fair and kind. But when we reached, the soldiers took us straight to the Emperor Tristan, who wasn't pleased to see refugees from Rome.

In both Rome and Greece, children are chosen by the Gods. Children with bright souls, with pure spirits. They are hand picked by the Gods and blessed with a few of their traits, a few of their powers. I was blessed by Jupiter, or Zeus as the Greeks call him. My friends were all also blessed by the Gods. Reyna was blessed by Bellona. Dakota blessed by Bacchus. Hazel blessed by Pluto. Frank blessed by Mars. When we reached the Emperor's palace, he stripped us of our powers and cursed us never to leave the borders of Greece. All the rumours about Greece were wrong. Everything. Now none of us can leave Greece. It's physically impossible. The Emperor is blessed by Hecate. That was how he cursed us. That was how he took away our powers.

Ever since then, we have been on the run. Hiding from the guards. Keeping away from the palace. It's hard living like this. It's like a prison. We can never leave but don't want to stay. I swore that i would find a way to get our freedom back. I won't give up. I won't let my friends down.

I'm sitting in an abandoned house, on an old broken down sofa. The house is pretty dim, except for a few rays of light peeking in from the cracks in the walls. Everyone else is sleeping on old mattresses around me. The room is quiet, except for the faint inhales and exhales from my friends. I shift on the sofa a little and it creaks. Reyna stirs. She's a really light sleeper and alert at all times. She wouldn't miss the footsteps of a mouse, even if it was running inside the cracks of a wall. The sofa creaks again as I move a little. I swear colorfully. She opens her eyes and smiles faintly at my creative use of swear words.

"Morning, Reyna." I say. "Sleep well?"

She gets up and sits beside me on the sofa, making no noise. I always wonder how she does that.

"I was having a pretty good dream," she says. "Before you decided to make some noise and wake me up."

"Yes," I say, "I_ so_ did it intentionally."

"Yes you did." she says.

"Well, you can't expect me not to move at all. Being on guard means I protect you guys from harm, not from being woken up during a good dream."

She shrugs. "Hey," she says. "You should get some sleep as well. I can guard."

I shake my head. "Can't." I say.

"Nightmares?"

I nod. She takes my hand. "Hey, it's going to be alright, okay?" Reyna says. "We're going to get through this."

"I know, it's just...with every day that passes, I lose more confidence in myself. I want to make everything easier for you guys. I just dont know how."

She squeezes my hand. "Jason, don't worry about us." she says softly. "We're willing to follow you wherever you go. Well-"she glances at the others on the floor. "-I know I am."

I smile. Where would I be without her or any of these people? Whenever I feel underconfident and want to just give up, curl up in a ball until all of this ends, these guys boost me up and remind me that I have people depending on me. And I can't let them down. I squeeze her hand back. She smiles faintly and looks at me, her eyes full of determination and something else. I know I'll always have my friends with me. If any of them are ever in trouble, I'll do whatever I can to help them in anyway. With that thought, an idea clicks into my head.

"I got it!" I say. The others stir. Reyna gestures for me to quiet down, but they already opened their eyes.

"What?" Frank says in a yawn.

"I know- why didn't I think of this before!" I say to myself. "I'm such an idiot!"

"Jason, what is this? 'Stating the obvious' day?" Dakota asked.

"Look," I say, "I know what we can do to get our freedom back."

Reyna's eyebrows raise. Frank and Hazel frown. Dakota looks surprised.

"Okay," Dakota says, "What is your ingenious plan?"

I smile. "We're going to capture the Emperor's daughter."


	2. Chrysanthe

Hey guys! I love all this enthusiasm about this story coming from you guys! I really appreciate all the reviews, followers and favourites. It really made my day to see so many of you like this story. I do have another story- Choices- and will update that as much as I can. Handling two stories is not easy but I'll try my best. Anyway, enjoy!

DISCLAIMER : Sadly, I don't own these characters. Rick does.

Chapter 2 Piper.

Piper. What a name. It's unique and rare. It has a certain pop to it when said out loud. It's clear, somehow. It's bright. It's everything but my own name. And I hate it. Everyone I know either calls me 'princess' or 'Piper'. Why can they not use my real name. 'Piper' was just a nickname given to me by my mother, Alkestis, Empress of Greece. Now dead. She called me Piper because of my musical voice and eye-catching looks. She used to say my looks pipe up, whatever that means. There are only a few people who call me by my actual name, Chrysanthe. I find that name beautiful. I prefer it. I mean, if they are going to give me a nickname, then why can't it be Chrys or...anything other than Piper!

I'm fisting my bed sheets in anger, sitting in my bed chamber. It's almost dark. The sun is sinking into the horizon, setting the rest of the world on fire. Beautiful hues of red and orange line the gold circle that is slowly melting. I sigh at the breathtaking scene. There's a knock on my door. I stand up.

"Who is it?" I ask.

No answer.

I walk over to my door and put my ear to it. No sound. I sigh and walk back to my bed when I hear another knock. I cautiously creep back to the door, my dagger, Katropis, in hand. I fling the door open with my blade raised. No one. I frown and slowly walk outside my room. I look down both sides of the hallway, illuminated by cauldrons of fire by the walls. Must be one of the guards trying to be funny. I sigh angrily and turn back to my room. I bump into a wall of black. I look up. It's a person. The person makes an inhuman sound. I scream, backing away. I hear a snicker which soon turns into a howl of laughter. I see that it's Percy, my 'brother'. He is holding his stomach, laughing so hard, tears come in his eyes. I smack him on the arm.

"Ow." He says holding it.

"Idiot." I hiss. He is still laughing. "It's not funny!"

"Oh, you should've seen your face!" Percy says, still laughing. "Ahhhhhhhhhhh!" he impersonates me.

I find myself smiling a little."That was a horrible impression of me." I say.

Oh, gods. He's still laughing. I cross my arms. "Done?" I say.

He chuckles silently as he nods. "Come on," he says, offering his arm to me. "The king has requested your presence for dinner."

"Why?" I ask, taking his arm. "And why has he asked you to do it?"

"I offered." He says, as we start walking. "There are guests."

"Guests?" I ask.

"Yes. The king of Argos has come to meet the king." Percy said.

"What does Argos have to do with Athens?" I ask.

"It's a very private meeting. The king won't tell me anything. He asked for you because...well, your the princess. But, there is something else."

Oh no. When Percy says there is something else, then it means that the something else won't be good. I flinch. "Bad, isn't it?"

He nods. "The king of Argos brought his sons."

I swear all the swear words that come to my mind. And by that I mean a lot. Percy smiles, shaking his head. "Oh, come on. Christopher is not that bad." he says.

I sigh. "You're right, Chris is a gentlemen. It's Ethan I'm worried about."

"Oh, and one more thing," he says, as we round the corner to the dining room. "The king is planning to marry you off to one of them."

I open my mouth to scream, but Percy clamps his hand on top of it. I can't marry the Rodriguez brothers! Chris is okay, but if I end up with Ethan I-gods know what I'll do! I don't want to leave the castle. It's my home. I knew I would have to leave it soon enough but I'm not prepared to leave now! I'm only 16! Can't the King wait 2 more years! Why can't I have the throne! If I do, I can stay here! Percy is not even royal blood. He's just the son of our late cook, Sally! Father only took him because he was blessed by Poseidon. Everyone in this castle thinks we're half siblings, when we're not even related. Percy is still like a brother to me. I love him so much. But it's not fair! I feel cold jealousy run through me. I shake it off. I can't be jealous. I know Percy doesn't want to be heir to the throne. He's in love. But Annabeth is a female soldier of ours (yes, we have female soldiers) and he can't marry her. I take his hand off my mouth. He squeezes my hand and gives me a sad smile.

We enter the dining room.

My father is sitting at the head of the table, talking to the man sitting on the other side. Other advisors and dukes fill the other chairs, leaving the chairs next to the King empty. Two boys sit on either chairs beside their father. They both have shiny brown hair combed elegantly back and brown eyes, but that's where the similarities end. Chris has a fair, oval face like his mother's and broad shoulders. Small, almost unnoticeable freckles fill the skin on his nose and cheeks, giving him an almost innocent look. He looks like the obedient, kind gentleman that he is. His brother, on the other hand, gives you that dangerous feeling. Every feature of his- his dimples, his pale skin, his perfect eyebrows, the way he cocks his head to the side studying you- tell you he his bad boy reputation. Ethan is the heir to the throne, and the one you should keep well away from it.

As I walk into the room, everyone's gazes fix on me. Ethan's dimples deepen as he smiles at me. Chris nods his head to me smiling. I bow to...well everyone in the room. My blue gown trails behind me as I walk to my seat next to the king. He nods to me as i sit down. I nod back. This is how it is between my father and I. Formality. He's never hugged me like a father should. Never showed me fatherly care. Ever since my mother died, he's left me to total solitude. I only see him when I have to greet one of the Kings and he is in the same room. Percy sits next to the king on the chair opposite me, murmuring a greeting to the King.

I turn to the King of Argos. "It's a pleasure, your highness." I say, smiling.

He smiles back at me. He is a nice, kind fellow. His wisdom makes him a fit king and good father. "You too, princess." he says.

I smile and focus on my food. Roast chicken, peas and vegetables, gravy and punch. I dig into my food, trying not to make slurping noises as I eat. While the 2 kings talk, I try my best to look intrested while eating at the same time. I try my best to keep my table manners and eat slow and keep my mouth shut when chewing. I look up at Percy, who is glaring at me. I frown. He jiggles his elbows, motioning for me to keep my elbows off the table. I nod and casually lift my elbows and lower them under the table while eating.

I feel a prickle on the side of my head and see two pairs of brown eyes looking my way. Both the brothers are staring at me. Chris has the decency to look away when he sees me look back, but Ethan keeps his dark eyes on me, a slow smile spreading on his face. I look away and shudder to what he might be going on in his head.

* * *

><p>After dinner, the royal family of Argos, Percy, the king and I proceed to the throne room along with guards flanking us. Ethan hasn't stopped looking at me. I'm starting to feel uncomfortable, and he knows it. He knows I don't like people staring at me and decides to put my patience to the test. I glare back at him, walking behind me. He grins. His brother, though younger, shoots him a look only an older brother would shoot at his younger. A scolding glare. I hope I marry Chris instead of Ethan. How lucky I that would be.<p>

My father sits on his throne, gold (very uncomfortable, I'm sure) throne. Percy sits on his right, where a smaller throne sits on the marble stage. I sit on the throne after my mother's. We left her beautiful throne alone. No one sits on it but the queen. When Percy gets married, his wife will sit on that throne. I cringe at the idea of a woman other than my mother sitting on it.

The king of Argos is sitting on a large throne-like chair opposite my father. His sons are sitting on smaller ones. Ethan kept his gaze on my father this time, ignoring me. I resist the urge to sigh in relief.

"So," The king of Argos says, "As you already know, I'm offering one of my sons for your daughter."

"Yes," says king Tristan, very formal. "And I accept the offer."

The king smiles. "Good." he says. "Who will it be?"

My father looks at me. I keep my face blank, knowing that if I show any emotion, he will use that against me. Somehow.

My father says the name.


	3. Plan

**Hey people! I know the first 2 chapters were really bland; please forgive me. This chapter will be better (hopefully). Oh and I want to tell you that there will be some one-sided Jeyna in this story. I did to spice the story up a bit. Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER : I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS WHATSOEVER! **

**- Bellinda Cross**

**Chapter 3 Jason**

**It's late at night. The noise of chatter and movement fills my ears as we walk into a bar inside the village. When in the village, we keep hoods on and travel at dark when people won't suspect as to why we're wearing a hood. Reyna suggested that we go to a bar, where gossip is given away easily. We might find out stuff about the castle from the drunk guards talking in here.**

**We are armed head to toe, knives and swords concealed under our hoods. A bar is a place where aggressive drunks like to fight. Only trained fighters dare to drink in this bar. Normal villagers wold be beaten up broken if they get in a fight in here.**

**I give the others a nod before walking to a table with Reyna. I chose her because I trust her with my life. She is an amazing fighter and my best friend. I've known her since I was a kid. She was always there beside me, even when I chose to run away from Rome, she never left my side. She gave up her whole life and career to help me run away, and then come with me. I've never met a more loyal friend. I walk to the bartender, who, himself, has a mask obscuring most of his face. **

**"Two glasses of beer." I say in a husky, disguised voice. The bartender turns around and fills the glasses. He passes the drinks to me and Reyna. We start drinking slowly, taking tiny sips before we hear a few drunk guards talk about a subject I have been waiting to hear about.**

**"I hear the princess is a beauty." A man says in a husky, drunk voice.**

**"Oh, she is." One of the guards say. "I see her everyday in a tunic and pants, training in combat. Oh those legs."**

**The princess trains in combat? I didn't expect that. In the tone the guard said it, she must be good. She is a princess, though, she might not be as good as us. She will put up a fight, though.**

**"I guard her bedroom doors," Another guard says. "You don't know how tempting it is hearing her soft breaths in the room, knowing she is in a bed."**

**"Ooh." A guard says. "Well, when the maids change her, I sometimes peek inside. What a body she has."**

**Perverts. All of them. It's not like I care about the princess. I'm just disgusted. **

**"Now, now, men," A guard says. "All of this will have to come to an end."**

**"Why do you care?" One of the guards who spoke before says.**

**"I don't care," The guard says. "But her fiancé will."**

**She's getting married? The princess is getting married? This is great. It'll be easier to capture her and will have a larger impact on the castle. **

**"Who?" They asked.**

**"It was really complicated for the king. The heir of Argos, Prince Ethan, is blessed by Nemesis. Prince Christopher is not blessed by any god. The king wanted another blessed one to add to his collection. Since his daughter is blessed by Aphordite, he can't let her live in the kingdom of Argos, away from him. So he made a deal with the Crown Prince. Since the heir of Argos was really, really interested in his daughter, the king promised him the girl if Prince Ethan would step down from the throne and live in the castle. Surprisingly the Prince accepted and will marry Princess Chrysanthe."**

**The king is collecting blessed ones? Why? Doesn't he already have a lot of power? What's he planning? **

**"Let's go." I whispered to Reyna. She nods and gets up with me.**

* * *

><p><strong> "I kinda feel sorry for the princess." Says Hazel.<strong>

**We are in an old market, our new hiding place. Reyna and I had recounted everything the guards had said to Hazel, Frank and Dakota. Hazel gagged when we told them about the guards and their perverted-ness.**

**We all turn to look at her with wide eyes like, _are you kidding me? _**

**"What?" She says. "Look, other than the fact that the guards are being all perverted and stuff, her father treats her like a collectible. He just gave her to Prince Ethan. PRINCE ETHAN! The guy who seduces his maids back home. The only prince I've ever known not to be followed by a crowd of court ladies. He's going to ruin her! And then, we're going to use her for a bargain. She's being used for 2 bargains and, not to mention, the prince only wants her for her...body."**

**"Oh, please." Reyna says, looking up from sharpening her nails with her blades. "I'm sure she enjoys the extra attention the guards give her. And I don't think she'll care if she's being used for bargains. Not with that heartless, ruthless soul I'm sure she inherited from her father."**

**"Reyna," I say quietly, "Keep your voice down."**

**She looks around for any sign of guards or people, then goes back to sharpening her nails.**

**"We need to find out more about the princess." Frank says. "We need to know her routines and fighting styles. We need to either capture her from outside the castle, or spend months, maybe a year, studying her guard rotations and exits."**

**"We can befriend her." Hazel says. "You know, make her trust us then capture her."**

**"No." Dakota says. "She's blessed by Aphordite. She'll obviously be the one tricking us in the end. And plus, I'm sure she still remembers that we're exiles."**

**"We need to make people inside the castle trust us." I say. "We need to be less direct with the plan."**

**Reyna nods. "You're right but who'll befriend exiles?"**

**A slow smile spreads on Hazel's face. "Nico will."**

_**End of Chapter. Sorry about the bold. It happened accidentally and I'm too lazy to type again. Sorry this was soooo late, but writing doesn't take a few minutes. Hope you enjoyed anyway! REVIEW! PLEASE!**_


	4. Prophecies

**Hi guys! It's Bell! I'm** back** with another Chapter! Yayy! Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER : I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS WHATSOEVER! **

**- Bellinda Cross**

Chapter 4 Piper

_Lunge. Parry. Roll._

I hear shouts and whoops around me, filling my ears with noise. I shut it out, focusing on my opponent. We circle eachother, calculating our moves and stances. He strikes first with his sword and I duck away, hearing the swish as he cuts through the air. I plunge my sword towards him before he can recover from his false strike. I'm furious..and miserable. My father gave me away to Ethan, only because he is blessed. I still remember how Christopher's face fell, then lit up again when he was told he'd get the throne. He had sent a pitying glance my way when my father betrothed me to his brother. I'm sure now that I'm out of his zone, he'll be dancing with far more ladies at the ball tonight. The ball celebrating my engagement with Ethan. The ball where I'll have to dance with him.

The senior soldier's armour rattles as it makes contact with my wooden sword, throwing him back. The crowd cheers, celebrating the first hit. My opponent, Leo, gets up before I can hit him again and slashes his sword towards me. I quickly deflect the strike, putting in all my anger of what my father chose for me, and push his sword back. Leo might be one of my closest friends, but I'm not going to go easy on him, not while I'm this angry.

"Done, Leo? Or are you going to keep fighting for your pride and dignity." I ask, pointing my sword at him.

"Oh, funny, I was about to ask you the same." He says.

He slashes his sword at me repeatedly, making it hard for me to dodge and deflect each and every one. I lift my leg to kick him, but I realise a split second before he kicks my leg higher making me lose balance, that he was waiting for that. I stumble and fall. Before Leo can turn down to finish me off, I roll on the ground and trip him. I move away before he can fall on me and point my wooden sword at him. The senior soldier raises his hands in surrender. I chuckle and help him up, patting him on the back. The crowd around me cheers.

"Good spar." I say.

"Wait till I beat you, the you won't be saying good spar." He mutters.

I roll my eyes. "You've been saying that for what- 2 or 3 years. Face it, Leo, you can't beat me."

He mutters something I can't hear but have a feeling it's something I'd prefer not to hear, and walks away. I shake my head, chuckling at his sense of spirit. I pick up my sword and put it on the weapons table. I feel eyes on me and turn to see Nico Di Angelo, his dark eyes staring intently at me. I shudder. Nico is really dark and mysterious. He has been hovering around in my life for years, always watching. No one knows who he really is. There are rumours he comes from the underworld. That he is the ambassador. Even darker rumors state that he is a blood child to Hades. I presume that is why my father let's him stay in the castle. If it were up to me, I would've kicked him out yeas ago. He just darkens the mood by just being there. It's like he flickers out the little light remaining in this dammed city.

I shake off the chill and walk away, resisting the urge to run far from the boy.

* * *

><p>After taking a bath and napping for a while, I wake up and get dressed for the ball. I put on a dark royal green dress with gold designs filling the fabric on my shoulder. I wear this dress because of its high neck from the back and its covering 'v' neck at the front. I don't want to take any chances with Ethan. I clip up a bit of my hair at the top and let the rest of it cascade down my shoulders in curls. I look at myself in the mirror. I look at the defined curves and my hips. The slender waist and perfect chest. Is this all people see? When men look at me, do all of them feel only lust? Is that the reason why Ethan is interested in me? Ethan. Gods, I'm going to marry him. All those years of staying away and giving my father hints that I hate him was all for nothing. I stayed away from that disgusting prince only to later marry him? What will he do to me? Will I have fears of going in my- our, ugh- bedroom? Slowly, I let the tears fall. Life is unfair. Completely unfair. I drop to my knees and sob. Why me? Why my life? The room is filled with the sounds of my crying.<p>

I hear the click of my door opening.

"Hey, Piper-" Percy's voice falters as he sees me on the floor, sobbing.

He rushes over and warmth engulfs me as puts his arms around me, murmuring "it's okay" and "i'm sorry" to me over and over again. I try to stop crying but my tears won't stop coming. I sniff in Percy's shirt, trying to quieten down my crying. I wrap my arms around my brother. He doesn't pull away or tell me to stop crying. He just waits patiently as i let the tears all flow out. I know he understands. He's going through the same thing. We both are forced to do things we don't want to do.

I have to go to the ball! I forgot! All this time i had been pitying myself and crying about my horrible life, I forgot about the stupid ball. No matter how much I want to stay away from the ball, I know my father will punish me if I don't go. And his punishments are far more painful than normal parents' punishments are. I learned that the hard way. I pull away from Percy and take a deep breath before standing up and fixing my hair and face.

"Let's go." I say calmly to Percy, who is shocked at how quickly I recovered myself. I had practice, with all the times my father hurt me or made me cry. And there had been a lot of times he had done that. I take Percy's arm and walk out of my bed chambers.

* * *

><p>Music and chatter fill the ballroom. I am sitting on my throne, abseloutely bored. Ethan, luckily, has not asked me to dance yet and is, instead, talking to his brother at the tables. Percy is sitting beside me, his gaze directed to the beautiful blond guard standing at her post, looking hungrily to the food, Annabeth. I know about his feelings for Annabeth and her feelings back to him, but none of them can be together. They both had a secret affair until Annabeth ended it saying she didn't want to keep hiding. She gave Percy a choice, either end it with her forever or tell the people and the king about their affair. Percy obviously took the former option, saying that he didn't want the king to know because he would kill Annabeth if he found out. Ever since then, it's been hard for him. He and Annabeth love eachother, yet can never be together. I lean towards Percy.<p>

"Ask her to dance." I whisper.

Percy looks at me with wide eyes and shakes his head. "I can't. You know I can't."

"You can do it outside where no one will see." I say.

"No." Percy says, shaking his head again.

"At least give her something to eat. She looks ready to pounce on the buffet table."

Percy smiles and gets up from his throne, walking over to the buffet table to get Annabeth a sandwich. When he hands it to her, she smiles faintly, intense emotion burning in her eyes. I smile. I love that Percy looks happy, if only a little bit. My smile fades as Ethan walks over to me.

"Princess." He says, bowing. He kisses my hand. It takes everything inside me not to snatch my hand away.

"Ethan." I say in a flat voice.

"Would you like to dance, Chrysanthe?" He asks, igoring my uninterested expression. He called me by my real name to please me. He knows I hate it when people call me Piper.

"Of course." I say, noticing my father's eyes my way. I take his hand and walk to the dancefloor.

Ethan puts a hand on my waist and laces the fingers of the other one with mine. I tense to the touch. I put my hand on his shoulder and lift our laced hands to a dancing pose. I try to relax. I unclench my body and leave it normal. Ethan starts to dance with me, smiling. I keep my face normal. No smile. No frown. No smirk. Just normal. For a little while, I seem fine. Ethan doesn't do anything to me so far. Just when I fully relax, his hand starts going down my waist to an unforgivable place. I jerk while dancing and his hand moves back up to its normal position. He smirks a my discomfort and does it again. This time, I stomp on his foot. He hisses in pain. No one notices our little battle in the crowd.

Just as I'm about to hit Ethan again, a green light glows in the middle of the room. Everyone stops, staring at the light. The light moves towards me, glowing frantically. A woman steps out of it. She has red hair peeking out from under the cotton shawl she wears on her head. Her eyes are the colour of the glowing light. She points at me.

"The Oracle of Delphi has a prophecy for you." she says.


	5. Inside work

**Hey guys! Back with another Chapter! I really appreciate reviews. You guys don't even know. I literally squeal when I see that I have a new review. Honestly, when you guys review this story telling me that you love it and you want me to update it fast then I feel like you guys are depending on me and makes me want to write more and more. I love feedback on my stories. So please review!**

**DISCLAIMER : I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS WHATSOEVER! **

**- Bellinda Cross**

**Chapter 5 Jason**

So many guards. So many people. I feel really nervous. I've never been this close to the castle since I was officially exiled in here. But Hazel told me the only way to meet Nico is to go to the castle. She never really told me who he was or why he would help us, she just said we can trust him. I believed her. She was one of my best friends, i can trust her.

Right now, we're in the kingdom, wandering around. Hazel says Nico comes out at this time. How she knows, I didn't ask. No one finds it weird that we are wearing hoods completely obscuring our faces. Many people around here do too. Hazel walks further into the castle grounds. I grab her arm.

"What are you doing?" I whisper to her.

"We need to get inside." she whispers back.

She points to a few guards. I nod, understanding what she means. I let go of her arm. She and I follow the guards that walk into an empty alley, the others hot on our heels. The guards are laughing and gossiping, completely oblivious to the six exiles that are stalking them. There 7 of them, six of us. This fight will be unfair. For them.

* * *

><p>Reyna, Hazel, Frank, Dakota and I walk out of the alley, the seven guards stripped and unconscious behind us. We had taken their armour, leaving them in tunics and pants. The seventh guard's armour was also taken off so when they all wake up, they wont suspect a thing. We all walk casually to the castle, no one giving us a second glance. The guards guarding the gates let us in, not even asking our names or posts. I keep my face emotionless, hiding the fear building up beside me. Gods, there are so many gusrds here, I think I might pass out. When a guard looks at me, I feel like they can see through my mask, but they just glance and turn away. After what feels like hours, Hazel stops in front of a training ground.<p>

Two people are sparring in there. A guard and, surprisingly, the princess. She looks beautiful, even in her tunics and pants. I never thought she would be as pretty as everyone claims. But she radiates her beauty effortlessly. I watch as she whips and slashes her wooden sword at him with incredible speed. I underestimated her when i thought she was good. She is amazing. She fights like a dancer with her graceful moves and stances. I can see anger in her eyes. She puts that anger in her fighting, making it extremely difficult for the guard to deflect all her strikes. Hazel, Frank and Dakota watch in awe as the princess skewers the poor guard. Reyna tries to hide her awe, but I can see she has a grudging respect for the princess's fighting skills. Everyone around, whoops and cheers. She trips the guard, but he gets up before she can do damage. She deflects the strike coming toward her and points the sword to the guard.

"Done, Leo? Or are you going to keep fighting for your pride and dignity." She asks, smirking.

"Oh, funny, I was about to ask you the same." He says.

He slashes his sword at her repeatedly. She seems to visibly struggle to deflect all of them. She lifts her leg to kick him, but he kicks her leg higher making her lose balance. She stumbles and falls. Before the guard can to finish her off, she rolls on the ground and trips him. She jumps up, away before he falls and points her wooden sword at him. The senior soldier raises his hands in surrender. She chuckles and helps him up, patting him on the back. The crowd cheers.

"Good spar." She says.

"Wait till I beat you, then you won't be saying good spar." He mutters.

She rolls her eyes. "You've been saying that for what- 2 or 3 years? Face it, Leo, you can't beat me."

He mutters something inaudible and walks away. She smiles, shaking her head and puts her sword on the table.

Her tied up heir swivels as she turns to see a dark haired boy staring at her. She shudders and walks away, rather quickly. At that, Hazel scowls. I frown at her like, _what happened? _ She ignores me and walks up to the boy. When he looks at her, you can see faint surprise, as if he's trying to hide it. Hazel opens her mouth to speak, but he cuts her off.

"Not here." He says, his voice husky. Hazel nods as he gets up and starts walking away, not even waiting for us to follow.

Once we're far away from the guards and people, Nico whirls around and hugs Hazel. He stands there, stuned, before wrapping her own arms around him as well. She starts crying softly in his shoulder. He smooths the hair on her head repeatedly. The rest of us stand there awkwardly. Just as I am about to clear my throat to signal that we have no time, Nico pulls away and kisses Hazel's for head. The softness in his eyes are replaced by serious concern.

"What are you doing here? Why are you so close to the castle? Do you want to be caught?" Nico demands.

Hazel flinches. "This is important. We need your help." She says.

"Why would you possibly need my help?" Nico asks.

"We have a plan. A way to get our freedom back and leave this place." Hazel says. Nico gestures for her to continue. She gives us all a nervous glance. "We want to capture the princess. " she says, her voice low.

Nico's eyebrows shoot up to his hairline. He shakes his head. "That...that'll be difficult. First off, she is a really good fighter. I've been observing her for years and she never wavers. She is a professional when it comes to being stoic and revealing nothing. Then there's the fact that she has a protective brother, who is also a really good fighter. She's got a lot of well-trained guards. Her room is guarded at all times. And she's blessed. Her father will be furious to see her gone."

So he is collecting blessed ones. What is he trying to do? What does he want with them? Why didn't he take us in?

"All the more reason to capture her. We can bargain with her life." Reyna says.

"I know. It's just going to be extremely difficult. Even with my help."

"You will help us then?" Hazel asks.

Nico smiles. "I won't back down from something like this."

Hazel hugs him again, a big smile on her face.

"But first," Nico says. "We need to consult the Oracle."


	6. Capture

**Alright, chapter 6. I'm going pretty slow, I know that. I also know you guys came here mostly for Jasper and i promise I will. The story is just developing. **

**DISCLAIMER : I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS! **

**-Bellinda Cross**

**Chapter 6 Jason**

"The Oracle of Delphi has a prophecy for you." The red head says, pointing at the princess. What is she doing here? She just gave me the most messed up prophecy ever and is now telling the princess she has a prophecy to give her? I came here to the ball to spy on her and get more information but i guess i have more than that now. The crowd parts for the Oracle and the princess. Prince Ethan is holding her to him, almost protectively. She looks uncomfortable under his grasp but she focuses on the Oracle.

"What do you mean?" The princess asks, showing the crowd nothing to how she feels about this sudden visit.

"I mean what I say, princess." The Oracle says.

"But...why?" She asks. I sneak a peek at what the prince and king think about this. The Prince looks worried. He tries to go to her but is stopped by a blonde female guard. The guard tells him to wait, leaving him very concerned. The king looks interested. Not even worried or concerned like a father should be but interested. Even the guards show more worry than him. I frown. What type of father is he?

"You already know the answer to that, princess. Something big is about to happen in your life." The oracle says.

"Something big?" The princess keeps her face blank, but she has curiosity in her tone. Isn't she at least a bit scared? Worried, about what might happen to her? Is the prince the only one who shows real emotion in this castle?

"Oh, get on with it already." The king says from his place on the throne. He sounds excited. I scowl at that. What a horrible father.

The oracle's eyes turn fully green and mist swirls around her.

"_Son of Lightning walks in chains,_

_Daughter of Dove's fate awaits,_

_Blood and tears will be shed, _

_One choice can set all dead._

_Walk away from what you love,_

_Walk away with your freedom."_

I stop myself from gasping out loud. This prophecy is the same one the Oracle told me. Does this have anything to do with me capturing the princess? What does the whole prophecy mean anyway?

The princess pales a bit, but other than that, she shows no sign of fear. How does she do that? I mean, her hands aren't even shaking. She takes a breath.

"Thank you, oracle, for this...prophecy." she says formally. "I suggest everone return to their houses and bed chambers, its getting late. You don't want to get your own prophecy, do you?" She adds lightly. The crowd nervously laughs with her, trying to be light about this. I look at the king. His eyebrows are scrunched together in thought. The Prince rushes to the princess.

"Are you okay?" He asks, once the princess untangle herself rather quickly from Ethan's arms.

She waves him off. "I'm fine." Then they start speaking in hushed tones. I'm so eager to hear what they're talking about, I almost walk towards them. Luckily, Reyna talks my hand and squeezes it, giving me a warning look. I sigh.

* * *

><p><strong>Piper's POV<strong>

What was that prophecy about? The Oracle rarely meets people outside her 'house' and when she does, it means the prophecy she's about to give is very dangerous and important. Whatever it was, couldn't she have said it to me without my father and Ethan and...well, the whole castle! I would've figured it out with Percy wit out my father knowing. Boy, it was a freaky prophecy. I think I needed more space to breath when she told me and Ethan's arms around me didn't help. He smelled of roses and I hate the smell of roses. He pulled me to him to make a point. I am his now. He can do whatever he wants whenever he wants and I don't like his unlimited permission to touch me.

I'm walking back to my bed chambers, Leo next to me. He tried to talk. He tried to comfort me. He tried to tell me not to worry but all that's going to waste. I won't budge. Now my freedom is limited. My father will interrogate me and keep his eye on me. He'll put all of his loyal guards to guard my bed chambers. He'll make my life hell until the prophecy is fulfilled and I won't get in the way of his plans.

"So," Leo says, " The prophecy was really stupid, right?"

I roll my eyes. This is the 5th time he's tried to cheer me up. I say nothing.

"Oh, come on, Piper." He says.

"Don't call me that." I say coldly.

"Whoa, someone's frosty today." Leo says.

"How would you feel, Leo, if you got a really large prophecy put on your shoulders with a father like that." I say, angrily.

"Well, I'd enjoy the attention." Leo says, trying to lighten up the mood. When he sees my face, he stops. "Well, I don't know. I've never had a father." He says, soberly.

I soften up to him. I take his hand. "Look, I'm sorry. It's just...my father will use this against me somehow. I know he will. I can't go through another one of his games."

Leo squeezes my hand. "Percy and I will be there the whole time, don't worry."

I smile faintly. It's nice to have a caring family, especially when it's all you've got left.

* * *

><p>Jason's POV<p>

I follow her with Nico as she goes back to her bed chambers with her guard. Reyna and Dakota are hiding in the hallway. Hazel and Frank are hiding near her bed chambers. The princess was stupid to take one guard with her, especially with all that has just happened. They both are having a brother-sister conversation. I learn that her friends call her 'Piper' which she doesn't like. I see a whole different person from the stoic, formal princess in the ballroom. She is kind, in her own way. She is caring. She has emotions, thank the lords. I actually start thinking of calling this whole capture thing off. Hazeal was right, the princess has a pretty rough life, we'll just make it worse. But I can't let my friends down. I take a deep breath and Lunge at the princess out of nowhere. She suddenly turns, in her hand a dagger (where did she get that from?). She dodges my attack and slashes her sword with lightning speed. It cuts my cheek. Her guard fights Nico. I've got to say, her guards are pretty good. Nico was right. The princess kicks me in the groin and then uses the time i take to recover to punch me in the jaw. I bring my sword forward, but she doesn't do anything. She just stands still.

"Stop." She says quietly. The word echoes through my head and by some invisible force my sword stops. What is this? What has she done? I see Nico also struggling to move as I am. The guard gives an approving nod to the princess. She frowns at me, no fear shown in her face.

"Why have you come here? " she asks. Befor I can answer, I see Reyna come from behind the princess and swing her sword at her head. The princess easily ducks and trips her. Her guard fights and then easily knocks out Dakota. We underestimated her. She's too good.

"Why have you come?" She asks, lacing more of her magic in the words. I open my mouth to speak, but Reyna clamps her hand over it. Somehow, she is immune to this temptress magic. The princess raises an eyebrow. She is curious. Her curiosity wears away her concentration and her charmspeak. I swing my sword at her again and she is surpriseduces. She blocks it at the last minute, but I use the energy from the impact to push her back. She falls back and, before I know it, her guard lunges his sword at me. He cuts my arm. Reyna comes from behind him and knocks him out with the hilt of her sword. I look back at the princess, but she's gone. I look around, searching every corner for her. I don't realise she's behind me until I feel her warm breath on my neck. She has her dagger on my throat and is holding back my sword with the other.

"Leave the castle and never come back." She whispers. "Or I will put you out of your misery of being an exile."

I take in a sharp breath. She knows. Nico was right. I look for where he is but I see he is not there. Maybe he went to get backup- meaning Hazel and Frank. I'm surprised none of the guards heard the commotion. None of them are here defending the princess. She's put up a good fight herself so far.

"That's not an option." I choke out. Reyna lunges forward but stops short when the princess's blade digs deeper in my skin drawing blood.

"Leave," she says, "or die."

"Not an option." Reyna says, smirking. Hands come from behind, clamping onto the princess' s mouth, shutting her up. Hazel comes forward and untangles me from the princess's grasp. I turn around. The princess has her wide eyes on Nico.

"_Traitor."_ is the last thing she says before Frank knocks her out.

I look down art her crumpled figure. She barely has any cuts or wounds. She fought all of us without getting injured. She's dangerous.

* * *

><p>After shadow traveling out of the castle with Nico, we stay in our new hideout, an old training house. The princess is still unconscious. The guard was put in a storage closet to avoid any attention. I'm sitting on a battered old chair in front of the unconscious figure of the princess. She breaths through puffs of air, which looks adorable. Wait, no. She is my prisoner and enemy, I can't think like that. I look at her face. The smooth, beautiful face looks pained and troubled, even asleep. She looks like, she's been through a lot of pain and suffering. I wonder why she looks and talks expressionlessly. Why she has that very, very tiny hint of pain she tries to hide in her eyes. Why a princess who has everyeverything feels so much pain.<p> 


	7. Prisoner

**Hello guys! New chapter! I got a request to put in Percy's reaction to Piper's disappearance from the castle and will upload that chapter after this one. Soo...that's all I guess. Enjoy! Review, i love reviews! And favourite and follow and all that good stuff!**

**DISCLAIMER : I DO NOT OWN THESE CHARACTERS! **

**Chapter 7 Jason.**

The inhales and exhales of the princess in front of me, sound like the beat of a song. Sweet and graceful. Well, if you can't see the princess's face, then you'd probably think she's having a good night's sleep. But no. On her face is in a shadow of sorrow, making her look tragically beautiful. The fire cackling in the room soften her features, giving her a look of pure innocence. The way her hair curls around her face. The way she sleeps with her lips slightly parted. I find myself gawking at her angelic beauty. She looks so beautiful yet sad and sorrowful that all I want to do right now is fold her in my arms and keep her safe. I shake the feeling off. No. It's the blessing of Aphrodite that is making me feel this way. That's giving her that perfect beauty. No matter how much the pain on her face draws me, surprisingly, to her, I can't.

I hear the shuffle of footsteps and turn to see Reyna standing at the door way, bandages and healing supplies in her arms. I pat on the seat next to me, inviting her to sit down. She comes in and plumps down on the battered old chair.

"Okay," she says, "I've already patched everyone else up. It's your turn."

"It's alright, I'm fine." I say, though the blood trickling down my chin says otherwise.

She shakes her head and, without permission, starts to clean the blood on my face. Her hand moves in soft circles grazing my skin.

"Ouch," she says, examining my cut after cleaning the blood, "that's really deep."

"I'll live." I say softly.

She ignores me and starts applying a healing ointment Hazel made. Her caloused hands rubbing my skin. My skin feels warm where she touches it, making me lean slowly towards the warmth. She stops as my face fits in her palm as if she's cupping it. I look up and her eyes, full of some unknown emotion, meet mine. She wipes off some extra blood dripping down my chin, her eyes never leaving mine. Slowly, like a magnet, she leans forward, our faces inching closer and closer. Well, her face is moving towards mine, I am not moving at all. I'm staying still in shock. I never really noticed the intense emotion behind her eyes. Never saw the double meaning in her sentences. I never thought she cared about me in a different way. I...don't know how to feel. I know I should feel the same way but...

Reyna's face is so close, I can see the imperfections in the skin of her face. Her lips move closer to mine, almost brushing when...

"Get a room, both of you. Do this where I can't see you." Slurs the princess. We both jerk away, faces red with embarrassment. Phew, I have to be grateful. If it wasn't for the princess, I might have given Reyna hope. Even though I dont know if I feel the same way. Reyna gives the princess a cold glare a whole army would surrender to.

"You're awake." She says, her tone icy.

The princess snorts. "About time you've acknowledged that."

"How long were you awake?" I ask.

"Long enough to puke inwardly at your little show." She says.

Reyna's lips are pressed in a thin line. "Well, then. Now that you're awake, we have a few questions."

"What? If your plans are going to work or not?" She says. "Hmmm..I highly doubt it will."

"We never told you our plans and we don't want your opinion." Reyna says.

"Oh, the plan is the same old, same old. Capture me, ask questions, bargain my life with whatever my father took away from you."

"How did you-" I start.

"Oh, come on, you don't think this has happened before?" She asks.

"Well, then. Why won't it work?" Reyna asks.

"Because you haven't taken anything the man cares about." She mutters. "You should've taken his favourite shoes instead."

"What do you mean? You're his daughter!" I say.

"Nope. For him, I'm just a soldier in his army." She says, slightly wistful.

Is that where the pain I saw earlier come from? Is that the reason why she is so stiff and stoic?

The princess puts her feet on one of the chairs, sitting comfortably. " So, what is for food?"

"Oh, would you like lobster given to you right now on a silver platter?" Reyna says sarcastically.

"Yes, that will do." The princess says, playing along. Reyna glares at her, clear hatred in her eyes.

* * *

><p>Hazel, being all nice and genrous, was the one who gave the princess her food in the end. She was slightly nervous at first, but when she went inside the room, all we could hear was voices and fits of laughter. Right now, Reyna, Frank and I are sitting eating food quietly. Dakota had gone in the room to check on what's going on but he didn't come back. The laughter had gotten louder and Dakota's voice also chimed in. Wow, the princess is charming everyone. Reyna did say that the princess might be using her Aphordite powers to charm them into trusting her and doing as she says but i honestly, she seems to be enjoying staying with us, even if she's our prisoner.<p>

After dinner, the others go to bed while I guard. I'm wandering around the house, thinking about the princess. Gods, what a mystery she is. I don't know what to make if her. She has so many different split emotions that I keep wondering which one is her actual feel. I wonder what she hides under her mask of indifference. Why such a princess would have such a painful life? From there, my thoughts wander to Reyna. After the almost kiss, she's avoided eye contact with me. She's acted like nothing had happened. What if she attempts to kiss me again? Who will be rude enough to ruin our moment? I mean, don't get me wrong, I love Reyna. She is my best friend. My partner in combat. She's like my sister, that's why it's kind of awkward for me.

My thoughts are cut off as I hear sobbing coming fro the prisoner's room. Why is the princess crying? What happened? I slowly open the door which creaks in protest. I peek in and see the princess's sprawled figure lying in the corner. She's sleeping, her body spasming, her cheeks shining with tears. Is that even possible? Why do I always see hints of sorrow coming from her? What happened to that emotionless, automaton of a princess I see all the time? This adds to my list. She has abrupt mood swings. She shows a shadow of pain all the time. And she...cries in her sleep. What has her father done to her to have broken her that badly?


	8. Trouble at the castle

**Hey guys! Heres a pretty anticipated chapter for ya.**

**Disclaimer : These are not my characters. **

**Chapter 8 Percy**

After the ball, when everyone rushes outside, the king calls me to him. As much as I want to go to Piper and talk to her about the prophecy, I know I can't avoid the king. Not in his own kingdom. I sigh and walk over to the throne where our cold, ruthless king sits. I kneel before him and then get up, looking into his dark, icy cold eyes. He seems calm about this situation, as expected. I thought he was going to call Piper and interrogate her about this, but I guess he's thinking of ways he can blackmail and threaten her first. Always prepared, my twisted 'father' is. Beside him, sits the King of Argos and his sons, watching me intently. I ignore them.

"Is there a reason behind why you summon me, my lord?" I ask, taking a huge risk in talking to him like that. But I don't care. He's never shown me or Piper any respect. And I just want to see her.

The king purses his lips, obviously annoyed at my disrespect. "There's always a reason behind everything, Persues. And I'd like to know what the reason behind this prophecy is. Would you care to share it with us?" He asks.

I frown. "My lord?" I ask.

"How much did you pay the Oracle to crash our ball and give us this prophecy?" He asks.

What is he talking about? "Would you believe me if I said I don't know what you're talking about?" I ask.

"He's lying." Ethan whispers. I glare at him.

"And what would you know about this?" I sneer.

"Well, the person in this prophecy is going to be my wife, so I had to look into this myself." He says. He clears his throat. "I asked one of my guards to watch that Nico kid -I honestly don't like him. I was reported by the guard that Nico and a few exiles went to see the Oracle. The oracle gave them the exact same prophecy."

I frown. "What has that got to do with me?" I ask.

He smiles. "You see, from what I know, that Nico kid and you are close. Very close. You both could be helping eachother. Exchanging information and such to get to your required goals. So I assumed you told the Oracle to come here to bring chaos in the castle so Nico could help the Romans he loves so much, hit our weak spot."

"What is my required goal, then?" I ask, clearly annoyed that this guys is piling lies on top of lies.

Ethan's smile is wicked. "To be with someone you can't be with." His expression shows that he knows exactly what he's talking about.

"And that being who?" I ask, trying to keep my face neutral.

"You know exactly who I'm talking about." He clicks his fingers and five guards come in, holding a beaten up, blonde soldier. She struggles under their grip. I look at her in horror. She has bruises all over her arms and legs and face. Deep red blood is trickling down her forehead. Red scratches are drawn all over her face. Her stormy eyes meet mine and I almost break. I let her go to keep her safe and now...

Anger floods through me. I turn to Ethan.

"What do you want, bastard?" I ask.

He smiles. "I want you to work for me. I want you to betray your friend, Nico. Find out more information about what he plans or else she dies."

"But Nico has no plans." I say. Suddenly I hear a painful groan. I turn to see Annabeth on her knees, holding her stomach. The guard must've punched her. "Stay away from her!" I shout to the guards, running to Annabeth. I hold her shoulders. "You okay?" I whisper, my voice almost inaudible. She nods.

"So, Prince," Ethan says, "Accept my offer?"

I glare at him before nodding.

* * *

><p>After putting Annabeth in the infirmary and waiting there for a long time, I head to Piper's bed chambers. I need to tell her this. But can I? Will she be disgusted by me? Will she hate me for being so loyal yet disloyal? I want to know her opinion on this.<p>

Right as i reach the corridor her room is, I hear a scream. A female scream. I run towards the sound, panicked. The scream echoes around the hallway, making my ears ring. I see a small crowd of maids standing next to a closet. They're murmuring in low voices, panicked and shocked. As I reach the crowd, the maids move out of my way, letting me go. I peek inside the room, my hand on my sworsword and see, to my horror, Leo's unconscious body on the floor. Or at leaSt I hope he's only unconscious. I shake him. "Leo." I say. "Leo!" He shifts in my arms and mumbles gibberish.

I sigh in relief and turn to one of the maids. "We have to take him to the infirmary." I say. I pick Leo up and run towards the infirmary, the maids hot on my heels.

* * *

><p>Annabeth hasn't woken up yet. Leo is still murmuring random words. I catch words like "run" and "no". I hope he's just having a bad dream and nothing else. I sit for a little while, quietly thinking about the deal I'd just made. What have I done? I should've never...but I couldn't just let Annabeth get hurt.<p>

Suddenly, Leo jerks up. I rush to him. "Leo. What happened?"

Leo looks at me with wide eyes. "Percy, I'm sorry. I couldn't. ...what've I done?...I should've done more...forgive me, Percy...I'm stupid..I can't. .." He keeps talking to himself and the a dressing me with a sorry once in a while. I get impatient. "Leo!" I shout. I grab hold of his shoulders. "What happened."

He looks at me with grave eyes. "Piper was kidnapped." He says, no whispers.

My eyes widen. "No." I say. "No!" I shouldve gone with her! I should've accompanied her! It can't be! I continuesly shake my head, repeating no. Leo keeps trying to apologize.

"Who?" Me voice shakes.

"Romans." Leo whispers.

I scowl. If this is some sort of opening to a war, then they'll have it. I don't care about the consequences of a war coming up. I just want my sister safe and well. Maybe this is the start of the prophecy. The prophecy of the destruction of Rome. Looking nervously at my sour face, Leo clears his throat. I look at him. "Umm...Nico was sort of in with the kidnappers. He...fought me and...you know." He says slowly and cautiously. I feel a pang of betrayal goes through me. If anything happens to her, I will murder them. If anything happens to my baby sister, best friend, loyal comrade...I will do something about it. And they'll never see me coming.

**Okay, that was a lot of anger radiating from our usually light and witty character. Sorry. This is pretty OOC. Forgive me, will you? Anyway, send more requests for scenes here and I'll do it. I already have a whole plot laid out but I can always squeeze in some minor side plots. REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! Okay now I'm acting a little OOC. =D**


	9. Questions

**Hello, everbody! New chapter! Ummmm...enjoy? Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER : I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS WHATSOEVER! **

**- Bellinda Cross**

**Chapter 9 Piper**

_I open my eyes to an all too familiar place. The light pours in from the window into the room, making it shine golden. A soft quilt lies on top of me, engulfing me in warmth and a fluffy pillow slowly sinks down with my head on it. I get up and blink. I'm in my room. What am I doing here? I fling the quilt off and get to my feet. The marble floor chills my feet, making me feel numb with cold. Scanning every bit of my room for anything different or out of place, I begin pacing. What did these Romans put in my drink? I never dream of anything as simple as this. Usually my sleep is filled with endless nightmares. Why something as simple as this? _

_"Oh, this is not in the least simple." A musical voice drifts into my thoughts. I whirl around to find myself face-to-face with a young timeless woman. Her eyes are old, though her radiant smile and wrinkle-less face say something else. I swallow. This is no doubt a celestial being. Her skin is too perfect to be any human's skin. Her face so beautifuI that no one would dare compare her to any other. But her eyes, though mysterious and old, look familiar. The eyes that keep changing colour, drawing you to them. These are the same eyes I see in the mirror everyday. She has my eyes. I quickly bow. "Lady Aphrodite," I say, "An honour." _

_She smiles. "You are beautiful, my dear daughter." She says. I frown. Daughter?_

_"But.." I start but she cuts me off. "Every one of the young souls I bless hold a special bond to me. Like my own children, I would say." She says in that same musical tone._

_"To what do I owe this pleasure, Aphrodite?" I ask. Her face turns serious._

_" A prophecy," she says, "has come upon you, child. And I can sense a future full of-" Thunder booms. " Oh, all right. I'm just here to warn you. If you don't try to escape this place, you will go through pain. Pain that cannot be healed in any way." _

_My frown deepens. "But these people cannot hurt me. They want to use me as a bargaining chip." I say._

_She smiles sadly. "Just remember what I told you." She says, her figure shimmering. _

_"Wait-" I say, but she's already gone. _

_I sigh. What was all that about? Why would a goddess come to see me only to warn me about pain 16 years late? I've already felt enough pain in my life to know that there'll never be anything that can beat what i'd experienced my whole life. Well, at least I got a good dream. As if on cue, my dream starts __darkening, dripping in black. I cringe and hold my arms in front of me to block the whip that comes towards me. I know this dream all too well. The pain feels as if my father is right in front of me in real life, whipping the hell out of me._

I open my eyes and jerk awake. It's okay. It's okay. He's not here to beat you. He's in the castle, far away from here. He won't be here watching your every move or threatening or blackmailing you. I sigh in relief. I'm fine.

A slight movement at the corner of my vision catches my attention. The Roman, Jason Grace (I still remember his name from the day he was exiled) is eyeing me with curiosity and a little sympathy. I frown, then realise that my cheeks are wet. I turn away and wipe away the tears with my sleeve. Oh gods, have I been crying in my sleep? Again? Shoot. This is the second time someone's seen me crying in my sleep. Wait...was he watching me sleep? Creep! I imagine how I must've looked: small and fragile with a miserable look on my face. To him I would look breakable and sensitive. I can't have that! I sigh. He'll be leaving anyway when he gets to go back to Rome. He'll never think of me and my tears ever again.

I look at him again, keeping my face neutral and giving nothing away. "Well, you're up early." I say. "And also dressed up and doing your guard duty." I snort. "How Roman of you."

He smiles faintly. "I'm sure you're not used to organisation and schedules. You just get up and go on with the day. How Greek of you." He says.

I turn my face up in mock-surprise. "Romans cracking jokes? The world's going to end!"

Jason rolls his eyes. He doesn't bring up the fact that I cried in my sleep last night. Good.

"Would you mind if I asked you a few questions?" He asks, crossing his arms and leaning on the wall.

I shrug. "I would mind. But I have no choice."

He smiles. "Glad to know you know you're position in this pretty well." He says.

I say nothing. He continues. "Well, I better ask away before I lose your attention."

I smile. "Glad to know you know your position in this well."

The corners of his mouth quirk up and he shakes his head. "What sort of relationship do you share with the king? What sort of bond?"

I raise an eyebrow. "He's my father." I say as if it explains every thing. It does...sort of.

He looks at me harder, his electric blue eyes narrowing. I keep my face emotionless. " I know." He says slowly, carefully choosing his words. "But it certainly doesn't look like it."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"You said only yesterday that you were, and I quote, 'just a soldier in his army'. You also said that your father would worry if it were his favourite shoes taken instead of you. That is a pretty heavy accusation."

_And it's true._ "You must've misunderstood. I meant that he knew I could fight, so he wouldn't worry. And I called myself a soldier in his army because it's kind of the same thing. I am an obedient, skilled fighter for a daughter. Just like a-" he cuts me off with a glare._ Liar,_ it seems to say. I sigh. "Why do you want to know?"

He pushes off from the wall and takes two long strides towards me. "You know why. My plan has to work. And for that we need to make sure your father will worry."

And that's why he captured me after the engagement ball, I realise. My father needs me to marry one of the brothers from Argos if he can have a deal with them.

I clear my throat. "Anything else?" I ask.

He turns around and starts to walk away. "Not for now." He says and walks out of the room.

* * *

><p>Jason POV<p>

Watching the princess sob in her sleep was...horrible. She laughed and joked with Hazel last night. She was cocky and witty with Reyna. She was stoic and cold with me. And with herself...she was lonely and sad. What made me feel worse was the way she wiped her tears away ashamedly and then gave me that same cold and emotionless look instantly. She had practice with that, I can tell. She is confusing. One time she's witty, the other time she's stoic and then by herself, she cries. Her sobs sounded like cries for help. They sounded like cries for attention. _I'm here!_ they seemed to say, _don't leave me alone in the dark!_

But we will, soon. We'll leave her with her ruthless father and perverted fiancé. We'll leave her to be broken again and again.


	10. Jealousy

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**Chapter 10 Ethan**

My plan is working perfectly so far. The king and I have come to an agreement to take Percy out. He is an untrustworthy heir and disobedient prince. His love for the soldier, Annabeth, has driven him mad. He makes decisions without thinking it through when it comes to the skilled soldier. Pity she had to be beaten up. Now it'll take a few weeks to heal her injuries and that means she won't be able to fight for some time. The princess's personal guard, Leo, is being interrogated in the cells. We need to know where the princess has been taken to. Our whole plan, everything we're doing has to end with one final person, the princess. She is the key to me being here. She is the key to defeating the Romans. She is an important element in our plan. Her being captured isn't what I needed. Now we have to waste our time and energy to find the princess. How annoying.

I'm sitting on the prince's throne, talking to the king about our strategy against Rome. He seems pretty confident that we'll win, with all the blessed ones he's collected.

"I'm not so sure, your highness," I say, "The Romans might also have an army of blessed ones on their side."

"Why do you think I spent so much time creating the rumors about Greece?" He says. "I knew somehow the rumours would reach Rome. And what with that cruel and ruthless place, some of their people are bound to come. And now that I've captured them all, Rome won't have enough people for a war."

I nod. "But with so many Romans here, they could just band together and kill all the Greeks from the inside."

"I know," The king says, "and that's why I took away their powers and set the guards on their tail."

I smirk at his cruelty. Brilliant, he is. "And the princess?"

"Well," The king scratches his stubble, "we have to get her back to get you in. And we need to get rid of the exiles who captured her. The guard who was with the princess said that they were skilled fighters and, by the way they were fighting, were trying to keep the princess from getting hurt." I note the way he says _princess _instead of _my daughter_ or _Piper._

"Seems like everything is going to plan. I'm glad we got Percy out of the way. Now we can get the princess to the throne and then me." I say.

He smiles viciously. All he wants from the princess are mixed-blessed children and a way to get me on the throne, then he'll get rid of her as well. I never thought someone could hate their own children as much as him. Well, he doesn't actually hate her, he just doesn't care. He treats her like a thing. He couldn't care less of if she's dying or in any pain. She is beautiful. It's a shame we'll have to dispose of her soon.

* * *

><p><strong>Reyna POV<strong>

That princess is a pain in the imperial behind!

She's in her cell eating food right now. I made sure to give her stale bread and tasteless meat. I made sure she'd stay in her cell in total isolation but Hazel, with enormous heart, decided to 'guard' her and now all I can hear is laughter. Frank and Dakota went inside the cell as well. So much for total isolation.

No it's just me and Jason eating our food quietly. I haven't said anything to him since our almost-kiss. What a fool I made of myself! And that princess ruined it at the end. Things will be really awkward between us now. I might never get a chance to express my feelings. I waited 2 years for the right time. I thought, back then, when we were exiled, that I could tell him when we got out of all this. I find him a loyal friend and noble leader. He is willing to do whatever he can to help us And I know he feels guilty for this mess, but I don't think he's the reason at all. I'm willing to go with him wherever. I swallow my chunk of food and open my mouth to say something when I hear footsteps. Jason and I both turn around to see who it is. Dakota, Frank, Hazel and the princess come in. The princess walks slowly and hesitantly. Hazel, who is smiling faintly, turns to the princess.

"Come on, Piper." she says. I raise my eyebrows at the nick name. Her friend had used that with her. The princess frowns a little at the name, as if she dislikes it.

"I don't know, Hazel-" she starts.

"Oh, come on, your not dangerous." Hazel says.

The princess raises an eyebrow, as if in challenge.

I turn to Jason. He's watching her with an unreadable expression. I frown.

"Jason, let her eat with us." Franks says.

Before Jason can say anything, I speak. "Nope. She's our prisoner and will be treated like one."

"Oh, really?" the princess says, "Starting now?"

I give her a cold glare. "Starting the moment you stepped in this place."

She smirks. "Yeah...right. Because the moment I stepped in this..HQ I've had guards stationed at my cell and all of you watching my very move." She says sarcastically.

"Careful with what you say, I can cut off your tongue whenever I like." I say, my voice venomous. Jason's eyes cut to me, warning.

"If you wanted to cut my tongue off, you would've done it already. But you can't. You'll never get your freedom that way."

"_Enough._" Jason says, his voice dangerously calm. I go back to eating.

"Umm...so I'm guessing that's a no." Frank says.

Jason considers for a moment then, keeping his eyes on his plate of food, he says quietly, "Whatever."

Hazel grins and then gives the princess an extra seat. I glare at him, but he isn't looking at me. He is looking at the princess. They both stare at eachother for a few seconds before he breaks his gaze and goes back to eating. My mouth suddenly tastes bitter and I feel a pang of...what? Jealousy? I close my eyes shut for a moment before swallowing. "I've lost my appetite." I say quietly and get up to leave.

"Reyna-" starts Dakota, but I leave before he can continue.

I hear footsteps behind me as I walk in the hallway. My heart flutters, thinking it's Jason, but when I turn around, the princess is there. I glare at her. "What do you want?"

"Reyna," she says, "I'm...sorry."

I scowl. "For what? Taking away my friends or ruining my dinner?" I ask coldly.

She winces. "Look, I'm not...into him." My lips part. My eyes go round. Does she know?

"Into who?" I ask.

"You know." She says.

Of course she knows. She's a daughter of Aphordite, she obviously knows.

"He isn't into you either." I say, though I dont know that for myself, and turn and walk away.

The princess stays where she is and I begin to doubt myself even more.


	11. Anger

**Hey ppl! New chap! I just wanth to tell you that you can put requests and questions you want to ask me in your reviews. I will answer then in my chapters and do what I cab to fulfill your requests! Enjoy!**

**Chapter 11 Hazel**

After both Reyna and Piper leave the table, we sit eating in awkward silence. Jason is staring intently at his plate. Frank is quietly swallowing his food. Dakota is stuffing the meat in his mouth. I am just waiting for the girls to come back. I don't know why Reyna doesn't like Piper. She's funny and sweet and, once you get to know her, not bad for a Greek. Sure she's not stiff and stoic like a Roman, but she's not creative with threats like a Greek. She's...herself. She's Piper. I don't know why she doesn't like the nickname. I think it suits her in some way. I even forgot her actual name. Calling her Piper has become a habit of mine, I can't think to call her anything else.

I hear footsteps and turn to see Piper coming back, sighing. Everyone looks at her. I expect her to sit back next to me, but she keeps standing.

"I don't know how you guys can stand her." she says.

"Reyna's not all that bad." I say.

"Well, if you like stiff and serious automatons as friends then I guess she's _not all that bad._" Piper says.

Dakota snorts. The corners of Jason's lips quirk up.

"Are you going to sit and eat?" I ask.

Frank looks at her expectantly. She smiles. "I suppose." she says.

She sits down. I expect her to sit straight, keep her elbows off the table and make abseloutely no noise, eating, but she slouches, rests her elbows lazily on the table and makes tiny slurping noises eating. We all watch her with wide eyes. She stops and turns to us. "What? Can't a princess eat like a normal human being?" she snaps.

"You call that eating like a normal human being?" Jason asks.

"You wouldn't know." she mutters, digging back in to her food.

Dakota, Frank and I choke on our food, trying not to laugh.

"So, Piper," I say, "Could you..uh...tell us about your life back at the castle?"

"Why do you want to know?" Piper asks, her usually smiling face turned hard.

"Well..I'm curious." I say. I see Jason stop and watch her, eyes narrowed.

"Curiosity killed the cat." Piper says.

"_Pshaw.._a cat has nine lives, my friend." Frank says.

Piper looks down at her plate. She sighs. "Life at the castle is...great, just great."

"I bet you miss the food." Dakota says.

Piper smiles. "Yeah, the food there is way better." She says, her voice indicating this conversation is over.

But Jason looks mad. "Yeah, I'm sure you loved the food." he says, his voice dripping with sarcasm, " And the clothes. They must've all been made of the softest, rarest materials. Tell me, does your father sit on a crystal throne, embellished with gemstones? Does he spend all that money on his own comfort and convenience? And what about the beds? Were they soft enough for you and your..."

"Jason." I say.

But he isn't done. "Your bastard of a father must have all the things in the world within his reach. I'm sure all the guards are obedient lifeless slaves to him. I wonder what he uses as blackmail for them. I wonder how much he threatens them."

I glare at him. I know Piper is our prisoner and we shouldn't really care about what he says to her. Heck, we shouldn't even let her eat with us. But Jason's gone too far.

"Done?" Piper asks, not even a hint of human in her voice.

Jason ignores that. "How can you live with a man like that! How can you- he exiled us. He ruined our lives from the moment we stepped in Greece!" He's shouting now. "How can you not care of what he'd done to us! Don't..don't look at me like that! Don't look as if you couldn't care less! Dammit, don't you have any feelings!"

He was right about that. Piper looked emotionless. Now _she _looked like the automaton, no anger or sympathy or _anything_ in her eyes. She looks scary like that. I expect her to slap Jason or throw something at him or do something painful, but she just says in a cold, chilly voice, "You were the one who came here with wide open arms. Your foolishness got you here." With that, she gets up and leaves.

Jason looks as if he had been slapped. He also gets up and leaves, but not to any random room to breath in or some hallway. Instead he follows her to her cell. I flinch. This isn't going to end well.

* * *

><p>Jason's POV<p>

I let myself in her cell, slamming the door shut behind me. The princess whips around and frowns.

"What?" She asks, annoyed. "Here to lecture me about manners?"

I blink. What happened to that cold poker face at the dining area? She just looks annoyed now. I actually thought, back in the dining area, that she would fangs and bite my head off. That's how scary she looked. Her rapid change of emotions isn't something a normal, happy person feels. Her father has done this. If not him, then she's seen something. Witnessed a tragedy. A tragedy that cuts so deep that...

"You poor thing." I breath.

She scowls. "Excuse me?"

I take a step towards her. "He's broken you so bad." I say. "Your a mess."

"What are you talking about?" She asks.

I suddenly feel the urge to console her. To wipe away the nonexistent tears she's shed. I shake myself. No. You can't do that. She's just a messed up Greek scum. And your supposed to be mad at her. I clear my throat. "You heard me." I say in harsh tone, trying to clean up what i'd just said. "You're father's genes have messed you up."

She turns, her back facing me. "Your Roman blood has messed you up." She mutters, walking to her corner where she sleeps.

She must think I'm crazy. First i shout my head off then i act sympathetic towards her before bashing her again. She tilts her head to me, still not looking my way. "A little privacy please." She says.

I turn around a leave, making sure to slam the door.

**Weird chapter in my opinion. Sorry if you didn't like it. A lot is going on in my mind and I just wrote this down to keep the story going and add some actual anger towards the king. I know in almost every chapter, I always end up writing in Jason's POV but it's necessary. Anyway, hope you enjoyed and please review. I feel like a failure when I don't get feedback. So please REVIEW. **


	12. Reunions of all sort

**Hey! It's Bell! Back with a new chapter! Kay, I want you guys to tell me which character's POV you want next. I will, in that chapter, give whoever chose the POV a shout out. I want to explore different characters and create holes waiting to be filled in the plot. I hope this will work out. Anyway, enjoy! This chapter has a new character in it, just to create more suspense. Enjoy and review! **

**Chapter 12 Thalia POV**

My feet dig through the snow with every step I take, hiking in the snow capped mountains bordering Greece **(I honestly don't think snow capped mountains border, much less exist, in Greece. But meh.)**. The wind howls in my ears and violently blows on my spiky hair. I would've enjoyed the great view up here if it wasnt for the blizzard. The snow is piling up in mounds and i can barely walk. This weather isn't my favourite. Why couldn't Artemis have given me a mission to go to a nice, warm and sunny place, where I won't have to worry about monsters and wild animals on my tail? Why here? I sigh, rubbing the thick, furry sleeves covering my numb arms. How lucky Phoebe is, hunting in the nice, warm woods of Argos. Just because I'm Artemis's lieutenant, doesn't mean I should always get the hardest jobs. The wind blows fiercely and pushes me slightly to the side. I try to not lose my balance on the steep slopes of the mountain, spreading my arms out, flailing. Suddenly, something gold and sharp whizzes past my face, surprising me. I close my eyes and stand on both feet equally, regaining my balance. I make no sound. I strain my ears to distinguish between the whispering of my coat or howling of the wind and footsteps. The footsteps sound like slithering. I can believe the slithering. I'm on the same bit of cold, wet snow. It's hard to walk on. When the person is close enough, I whirl around.

I come face-to-face with Hylla Twice-Kill, the queen of the Amazons.

I lean back and smirk. "What a pleasant surprise, Hylla."

Hylla grins. "It always is, with me,"

I roll my eyes. "So," I say. "What brings you here to the cold borders of Greece? Last time I checked, you were an arrogant Roman Amazon who wants nothing to do with Greece."

"You think I want to be here?" she says, snorting. "I was given orders to check out the rumours of a prophecy going around here."

I raise an eyebrow. "Hylla Twice-Kill, Queen of the Amazons being ordered around?" I snort. "Bad day, for you isn't it?"

Hylla purses her lips. "You would know. You're always being ordered around."

I cross my arms. "Hey, I swore an oath to take orders from Artemis. I did it _willingly._"

She rolls her eyes. "Whatever."

I smile in victory. "So, did you hear anything from your sister?" I ask.

She frowns. "No. But I did hear that a group of exiles captured the princess. Sounds like Reyna."

I smile wistfully. "And Jason."

"I think your brother is part of the prophecy."

"So you know the prophecy?" I ask.

Hylla nods. "Sadly, I can't find the Oracle. People say she was imprisoned by the King in order to keep the prophecy quiet."

"Well, he isn't doing a good job at that. Slowly and slowly the prophecy is going around."

"But as it goes around, it's being altered. So not a lot of people know the actual one." She says.

"And you do?" I ask.

She nods. "Go ahead then." I say.

She shakes her head. "I can't tell you. Not where anyone can hear."

I shrug.

"People say a war is coming up." she says. "Between Greece and Rome."

"Yeah." I say, nodding. "Artemis informed me. She said that we Hunters can fight only if monsters come up."

"Against Rome?" Hylla asks. I nod. "Well, then," she holds out her hand, "It'll be fun fighting against you."

I shake her hand and grin. "It sure will be."

* * *

><p>Percy POV<p>

Annabeth has been sent to her house in the village for some time, on my orders. I don't want Ethan to have leverage. I don't want Annabeth in danger. I'd stationed Leo and another guard, Michael Yew, to protect her. I trust them both to take care of her. I'd been following Nico for days and always ended up losing him. He'd either blend in with the crowd or disappear into the shadows. I think he knows he's being followed. I just hope he doesn't know it's me. We've been friends for ages now and always been loyal. But if he has something to do with Piper's capture, he wouldn't want to see me again, that's for sure. Right now I'm hiding near a village food stall, dressed in peasant clothes. No one knows it's me. Everyone thinks I'm a normal villager. Nico usually goes this way when he disappears. I hope I find where he goes off to.

I see him. Nico is walking normally, eating an apple. He looks so normal and peaceful, just like the villagers. I smile a bit, then move slowly so that I'm following him slowly and undercover. I weave through the crowd of people as if I'm looking at stuff from the stalls. Nico doesn't notice. He keeps walking down the little cobblestoned road. I slowly follow him. He takes little turns and twists in the alley as i silently stalk him. After about 20 min, he stops near an old hut, knocks on the door after looking around to make sure no one is there. The door creaks as it opens. I come a little closer to the area and see a dark skinned girl's face peek out. She has tangled curly hair and big doe-like golden eyes. She is wearing ragged clothes but, despite that, looks fresh and full energy. She gives him a big bright smile and gestures for him to come in. He does.

When the door closes, I get out of my hiding place behind a building and survey the hut. It looks old and unnoticeable. A perfect place to hide, I think. I look around before coming up to the door. What are the odds? Ten, maybe twenty people pointing swords at me, guarding a door with my sister inside. A small part of me tell me not to do this. Play it safe. Figure out more. Bring guards next time. But the fear for my sister is all-consuming. I squeeze my eyes shut. This is for Piper. This is for Piper. This is for Piper. I open my eyes and, before Im really sure of what I'm doing, kick the door open. Dust falls down in my eyes and I cough as it scratches my throat. The scene in front of me is surprising. About 6 or 7 people sitting in the living room, including Nico, talking. Just talking. Well, now that they see me, they are not talking and instead looking up at me with wide eyes. All of them have bar code-like tattoo's on their arms. Romans. I scowl. Nico gets up.

"Percy!" He says, in shock. "What are you doing here."

"So you are a traitor." I snarl.

Nico blinks. "Percy I can explain-"

"Where's my sister?" I ask angrily, looming at the Romans. A tall blonde one gets up. I'm assuming he's the leader, from the way they all look at him.

"Prince, listen to us..." He says calmly.

"I'm not listening to anyone until I see my sister!" I shout.

The boy exchanges a glance with a dark haired girl. They seem to be having a silent conversation, which reminds me of how Piper and I silently converse. The girl shakes her head. The boy sighs and looks at me. "Okay." He says.

The girl glares at him. "That's not what I said." She says, sounding deadly. The boy shrugs.

"She'll feel a little better seeing him." He says.

"Since when do you care about how she feels!" The girl asks, a hint of jealousy in her voice. I blink. What?

"Just show him." The dark skinned girl from earlier says in a soft voice.

The boy nods and walks up to me. He holds out his hand a little hesitantly. "Jason Grace." He says.

I frown a little. This exile is willing to let me know his identity? Is this a sign of trust? If it is, I'm honoured. "Percy Jackson." I say, shaking it.

He frowns as well. I'm sure he's confused that i have a different last name. He says nothing, though, just gestures for me to follow him. I do. He walks in the hallway and stops by a door not unlike the door I just broke down. The others have followed us and look curious as to how our reunion will go. Jason opens the door. He tells me to wait outside while he goes in. I nod. I want to know how Piper acts around these people.

"Hey," He says.

She snorts. "Back again? Do you enjoy my company that much?" She says. I smile. Typical Piper.

"Oh, please." He says, "If I wanted to be here, I would've come already."

"Then why are you here?" She sounds nonchalant. She doesn't care at all.

"I have a little gift for you." He says.

"Did you get knocked on the head? Who gives their prisoners gifts?"

I can't stand it. I slip inside the room. "It depends on the gift." I say. "And I think I'm a pretty good gift."

She looks at me with wide eyes before running and tackling me with a hug. I smile and hug her back tightly. "What are you doing here? Don't tell me they captured you as well?" She breaths.

I laugh. "No. I turned myself in." I say jokingly. It's her turn to laugh. She pulls back and smiles a wide smile. She looks so happy. So pleased to see me. I'm flattered.

"I missed you, Percy." She says, her voice cracking a bit.

I grin. "Who wouldn't miss me?" I say.

She hits me playfully. "Enough with your jokes, now. I mean it."

"Oh, I know you do." I say. She glares. I chuckle. "I missed you too, Beauty Queen." I say.

She glares. "Not helping. Don't be Leo." she says.

"Oh, don't even begin to compare me with _Leo._" She hits me again, harder.

"You're the worst with reunions." She says. I pull her to me. I literally squeeze the life out of her. I missed her so much. Over her shoulder, I see Jason leaning on the wall, smiling at our little exchange.

**Did you like it? I loved writing the reunion. I want this to be happier than it actually is. The Thalia part is just a little hole I've created here. It will be filled later on in the story. Anyway, REVIEW PLEASE. Bye!**


	13. The horrible truth behind the pain

**Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed the Valentine's Day Jasper one-shot I had written. If you haven't, go check it out! **

**Jasper is Golden, Im sorry but i am not going to do an Annabeths POV in any coming chapters yet. Ive got a whole plot and Annabeths POV wont work with it. I will put her POV in a chapter and i will inform you when itll hapoen but, for now, im sticking to my main characters. **

**Anyways, I want to tell you all something. I post chapters, hoping I'll get reviews. I post them, hoping I'll get feedback or requests or questions or even constructive criticism for crying out loud! Barely any of you guys review! I have stayed quiet for most of the chapters but now please PLEASE PLEASE review! I feel unenthusiastic posting chapters when I know I won't get reviews. So please. I love feedback!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 13 Jason<p>

I cant help but smile watching the prince and princess reunite. They look so happy. Happy enough that Piper, our little scary automaton princess, is crying and smiling and laughing. She's showing emotions. She's proving that she has a soul. I look over to the others and see Hazel smiling the biggest smile her face can muster. Frank is grinning. Dakota is sporting a half-smile. Reyna watches the little exchange between the two royal siblings with a guarded expression. This is normal. You never know what she's thinking. She's almost as scary as the princess when she's on full rage mode.

My eyes land on a dark figure trying not to be seen in the shadows. Nico. He's looking at the siblings with a sad face as if this reminds him of something painful. His eyes automatically move to me, as if he felt me watching. I frown at him, silently asking what's wrong. He ignores me and walks away. I wonder what's up with that kid. I look back at the princess. She's joking around with Percy, smiling and playfully punching him here and there. Her eyes meet mine, full of joy and happiness. She smiles at me. I'm surprised. She never smiles at me. And her smile..the small dimples in her cheeks...The small crinkle by her eyes...It makes my heart flutter a bit. Seeing the joy in her beautiful kaleidoscopic eyes makes me feel so happy. Wait. What am I saying? Romans' hearts don't flutter. They don't see joy in other people's joy. And they definitely don't smile at Greeks and yet...I smile back at her, loving the way her eyes light up. I can feel a certain person's eyes on me. Reyna. I turn to her involuntarily. I see a small pinch of hurt in her eyes before she looks away. Things have been complicated between both of us ever since that kiss and the dinner and letting the prince see the princess. We haven't been talking to eachother much. I see her cast her eyes once more on the joyful princess and leave. I sigh and follow her.

We're in a hallway. A small, narrow, claustrophobic hallway lit by small dim candles. I can practically hear Reyna's angry breaths in this tiny hallway. She seems angry. Really angry. After about 2 minutes of following her, she whips around and glares at me.

"Why did you follow me?" She hisses. "Aren't you happy with your little princess?" She spits.

I frown. "Reyna, what are you-"

"Oh please!" She whisper-shouts. "I've seen the way you both look at eachother!"

"What? No!" I say. "Reyna, I'm trying to be nice. Smiling is a way to be nice!"

"We're Romans! We're not supposed to be NICE!" she whispers.

"Really?! Tell that to Frank and Hazel and Dakota. Tell that to Gwen, Bobby and Hylla. Tell that to every other Roman who's been nice enough to be your friend!"

She looks hurt. Like, fully hurt. Her mask is not even on right now. I can see all the emotion in her eyes. "You-"

"Look, I don't know what's wrong. I'm never going to know if you don't tell me!"

She softens. "You care. I like that."

I frown weirdly. "What! Obviously I care!"

She smiles. "Yeah you're right. I don't know why I doubted..." she trails off, mumbling to herself.

"Reyna." I say, trying to snap her back to the conversation. She looks up, her dark eyes swirling with emotion. Her eyes are so intense that i forget what I'm trying to say. She takes a step closer to me.

"I care a lot, a LOT about you, Jason." She says quietly, almost shyly. "I guess i was just jealous. Of her. I...I like you a lot. Have for..a few years now."

I freeze. Wait what? This is happening again? Shoot. She leans in closer until we're only an inch apart. "I just..." her breath caresses my lips before she leans in and presses her lips softly to mine. She seems hesitant at first but then I start playing with her braid, closing my eyes, leaning in. She kisses me harder and swings one arm around my neck, the other holding my face. This is supposed to be the right choice. She's Roman and a warrior and my best friend. My confusion over the princess is just...not right. But why does kissing Reyna feel so wrong? Is it because she's my best friend? Do I feel like she's more like a sister. I try to push those thoughts away, kissing her. I put one hand on her face and deepen the kiss. This is right. This is right. This is supposed to be right. Why am I having a hard time convincing myself? Why? I have to pull away. If this goes on for too long, I'll never be sure of myself. She opens her mouth to take a breath. This is my opportunity to casually pull away. To get end of this storm of question marks in my head.

I hear someone clear their throat. "Not the time for that, lovebirds." Says the voice of the princess, teasing. Reyna and I jerk away. I pull my hands back to my sides. Thank you, Princess. I owe you one.

"Where-" Reyna starts but she cuts her off.

"You were too busy sucking each other's faces to notice me." She says, a knowing look in her eyes. Reyna blushes deeply. "That's right." The princess says. "But don't worry, I wont tell. Well, i might use this for blackmail later but...let's not talk of that now." She waves her hand. "The others are calling you guys. There's a problem."

Reyna glares at her, then leaves. The princess turns to me. "Well what are you waiting for? The others are calling you!" She says impatiently. She took me kissing Reyna with a guarded expression. A part of me wants to know what she thinks of it. I want to know if she doesn't care. I have no idea why.

The princess leaves the hallway without asking me to follow. I follow. We enter the living room where everyone is talking to one or the other. Hazel starts a conversation with Piper. Percy and Nico look like their planning something. Reyna is silently eavesdropping into Percy and Nico's conversation. I clear my throat. I don't see Frank or Dakota anywhere.

"Where are Frank and Dakota?" I ask.

"Spying on some guards near our hideout." Hazel says.

"Guards? What are they doing here?" Reyna asks.

"The castle guards have created some sort of search party for Piper." Percy explains. "Their looking through every house in every village. Scouring across Athens for our little princess." He gestures to Piper. She waves.

Piper snorts. "The king must've knocked his head." she says, "He has never set a search party for me. _Ever._ Even when I ran away at thirteen for two weeks. He just waited for me to come back and..." she trails off.

"Well you are getting married." Percy says, covering up Piper's unfinished sentence. "And your marriage is a peace treaty between Athens and Argos."

"Don't remind me." Piper mutters.

"I suggest we move from here." Reyna says.

I nod. "I agree. We won't want the guards to catch us."

"Fine." Piper says.

"Then we leave at dawn."

* * *

><p>Percy and I are sitting in the living room alone, talking about my plan to move. He seems okay with us <em>kidnapping his sister.<em> I can't believe he is so at ease with that. When I asked him why, he just snorted and said, "She not even being hurt here. You guys treat her like she's your friend. I'm actually more comfortable with her here than at the castle. She's enjoying it here."

Another hint about Piper's horrible life at the castle. What's going on? Does Percy know about her pain. Does he also feel the same pain there? No, Percy's so kind and easygoing. Piper's just emotionless. Yeah, nowadays she smiles more often and jokes around but...you can't miss that pain in her eyes.

"So Percy," I say, "Will you be going back to the castle?"

He smiles. "Why? You kicking me out?"

I grin. "Yeah. You're such a nuisance. " I say.

Percy puts his hand to his heart dramatically. "I'm hurt."

I chuckLe. Piper walks into the living room. She sits next to Percy, leaning her head on his shoulder. He ruffles her hair brotherly. I smile a little.

"When are you leaving?" Piper asks.

"Soon." Percy says. "The king will suspect me if I don't reach the castle soon."

"Don't leave." Piper whines. "These people are so bland and emotionless. I'll die of boredom here!"

I clear my throat. "Right here." I mock-mutter.

Piper rolls her eyes playfully.

"You better go to sleep." Percy says, poking her shoulder. "These guys will be leaving really early."

Piper frowns. "I'm an early riser."

"You'll be a very tired early riser." Percy says. Piper scowls at him. He keeps giving her the same look. She sighs. Percy smiles and kisses her forehead. She hits him on the shoulder lightly, but he moves away. The extended movement slips her sleeve up a bit. The skin there is drawn with large scars and dark marks. I frown. They look a little like whip marks. Piper covers her arm back up casually. She quietly leaves the room.

I look at Percy. He is avoiding eye-contact. "Percy...what was that?" I ask.

He doesn't answer. He just keeps looking at the ground. "What was that?" I ask, more firmly this time.

He sighs. "The King's work." He mutters.

I scowl. "What?"

He sighs. "The king used to beat her for her disobedience. He used to...whip her."

My eyes widen.

"When she ran away when she was 13, she came back to him whipping her with his bewitched whips. And thats not all. He beat her friends in front of her. He killed innocent people in front of her. He..." He takes a deep breath. "He even killed Piper's mother." Percy's voice sounds angry now. "He killed a 13 year old girl's mother in front of her!"

I don't know what to say. I thought my life sucked. I used to mock these royals for their lives at the castle. I want to say a lot of things right now. I want to apologise for kidnapping her. I want say sorry for her horrible life. I want to say something meaningfull to him. "He killed his own wife?" Is the only thing that comes out of my mouth in a shaky whisper.

Percy shrugs. "He didn't love her anyway. He only married her because he needed an heir. And because Piper wasn't a boy, he hated her. He hates everything about her. That's why I want her to stay here. He might as well kill her for being kidnapped."


End file.
